Troubled Water
by VampireNitsReloaded
Summary: I was the one who dried her tears. I was the one who fought her fears. And yet, I was nothing more than a bridge over troubled water.


Summary: I was the one who dried her tears. I was the one who fought her fears. And yet, I was nothing more than a bridge over troubled water.

_Bella, _

_I don't know how to tell you this, because I think you already know. I love you, Bella. I know that you might not trust me; I know you might not trust in love again, but Bella, with the right person, it is the most beautiful thing. Let me be your sun, Bella. I'll be right for you. Not like him, because for you he is – no, was - a drug. Let me make you happy, Bells. Let me show you my love. _

_I promised before that I'd never hurt you again. I'll never break a promise to you, Bella, because I love you. You are the only one for me. If you're weary or feeling small, and if you ever have tears in your eyes, Bella, I will be there for you. I love you so, so, much and I wish that you would just open your eyes and realize that. You are the one for me, now let me be the one for you, please._

_Jake_

*~*~*~*

"Jake?"

I looked up from the car part I had been fiddling around with. Bella stood at my doorway, her eyes filled with exhaustion and her arms crossed over her stomach. As always, Bella looked...not human. She _was _a human, no doubt, but that was on the outside. On the inside, something was trying to eat her alive. And I knew exactly whose fault that was.

I patted my mattress as an invitation for her to come join me and asked, "Jeez, Bells. It's almost midnight. What are you doing here?"

Bella's eyes were filled with fear now. I felt the familiar rage building up inside me. My hands shook slightly. Edward Cullen, the pretty-boy of Forks was the cause of her sleep-lidded eyes lined with dark circles that seemed to be etched into her face; he was the reason why she was broken. He was the one who left her without a flicker of hope in her eyes. She had told me once she knew he wasn't coming back for her. She had told me she knew he didn't care. But that had never hidden the wistfulness in her eyes. Not ever.

She denied it, but there was an ember of hope alive in her heart, filling the same place I wanted to claim as mine. That ember of hope was what burned us both time and time again. I tried to hide the sudden pain of rejection as I smiled at her. She wasn't the only one hurting on the inside.

"What's wrong? Bella, you know you can tell me anything, right?"

The pain in her eyes lessened. "I know. I couldn't sleep," she whispered.

I put my arm around her cold body. She was always cold – unnaturally so. Like _them. _I put my face into her hair. She smelt of something fruity.

_Human, _I thought.

No, she wasn't _anything _like them.

The _Cullens _– as if monsters could have names – were cold. They were selfish and cruel. And they sure as hell didn't care about another measly human they had to leave behind. I had seen Bella that night. I knew what they had done to her. And it pained me. I felt the burn of ice in my veins every time I saw her broken figure.

I knew I was trying to delude myself into thinking she didn't want to be like them. She didn't tell me anything but even a fool would realize what she wanted. _Who _she wanted.

"I'm sorry." Her voice sounded small. She felt guilty. _No,_ I thought. _You have no reason to feel guilty._

"Not your fault." It never had been. It had always been _his. _And I was paying the price. I thought of what would follow when – or if – Bella went home today. I would rant and rave at her choice. I would curse that – that _creature. _Unnatural. Not meant to be.

Internally, I shuddered with disgust. As hard as I tried, even in my dreams, I couldn't delude myself into thinking she was mine. Her heart belonged with Edward and always would. I'd always be the one picking up after him. And yet, her heart would never be mine. Not fully.

Love was scary – there were no other words. There was a pain in unrequited love that no one understood. Looking at Bella, knowing she'd never be mine, I knew without a doubt that if I had one day left to live, I'd lock the doors and windows to keep her in. I knew that if I had one day left to live, I'd wrap myself around her, knowing she didn't want me, and I'd breathe her in. Because I loved her.

Because I was nothing but a bridge for her – a bridge over troubled water.

_I'll take your part  
When darkness comes  
And pain is all around  
Like a bridge over troubled water  
I will lay me down  
Like a bridge over troubled water  
I will lay me down_

*~*~*~*

_"I don't want to hurt you, Jake."  
_

"_You can __**never**__ hurt me. Just don't leave me."_

"I'll never _leave you Jake."_

_The next day she flew off to Italy._

_The letter he had planned to give to her that day was left in shreds, just like his clothes._

_He never picked up the pieces._

_Edward Cullen, the pretty-boy of Forks came back a few days later._

_He had lost her._

_Another pair of his clothes was left in shreds that day when he ran away._

_Jacob Black never even looked back._


End file.
